We are often told to think about our actions in rational terms. Because of this, when thinking about a situation, all emotions, opinions, and things that make us human are set aside for the sake of rationality and efficiency. The development of bureaucracies in order to deal with the large masses is a result of rational thought that is prominent in the Protestant ethic. According to Weber, this leads to a world in which the individual’s freedom is at threat, often trapping them in an iron cage.
Weber establishes that the spirit of capitalism is imbedded in the Protestant ethic. He explains that those who are financially successful have roots in Protestantism. This can be explained by “…the spirit of hard work, of progress, or whatever else …show more content…
Weber argues that “…Calvinist diaspora [is] the seed-bed of capitalistic economy” (10). He continues by suggesting that Calvinism places an emphasis on “…constant self-control and thus to deliberate regulation of one’s own life…” (79). Even Calvinist ministers counsel their followers to engage in systematic rational conduct, in their calling, as a way to cope with their anxiety over their salvation. As a result, there is an emphasis on “…a systematic rational ordering of the moral life as a whole” (79). Calvinism has a sense of antipathy towards the worship of worldly things, however, it places an emphasis on religious duty in order to make use of God’s given resources available to all people. Through systematization and orderliness in all aspects of life, profit is earned and in that, a sense of salvation. Thus, through this rationality and systematization, bureaucracies were developed in order to deal with the large …show more content…
The Protestant ethic fosters a rational orientation to the world that demands using rationality to make all decisions. Bureaucracies, as goal-oriented institutions, are set to produce a systematic way to control and regulate other organizations. Branches in bureaucracies are ranked in hierarchical order in which information flows up the chain of command. Bureaucracies’ efficiency lies in its impersonal rules that are based on rationality. They explicitly state responsibilities, standardize procedures and make sure that everyone in the branches are highly qualified. In bureaucracies, people are not regarded as individuals, instead, they are numbers in order to be able to reach the whole population. Bureaucracies function because they “[segregate] official activity as something distinct from the sphere of private life” (197). Through this, there is an “…increase in the speed by which…economic and political facts, are transmitted exerts a steady and sharp pressure in the direction of speeding up the tempo of administrative reaction towards various situations” (215). These characteristics allow goals to be reached, but because people are regarded as numbers instead of actual individuals, policies developed through bureaucracies may have unintended consequences that result in
Weber establishes that the spirit of capitalism is imbedded in the Protestant ethic. He explains that those who are financially successful have roots in Protestantism. This can be explained by “…the spirit of hard work, of progress, or whatever else …show more content…
Weber argues that “…Calvinist diaspora [is] the seed-bed of capitalistic economy” (10). He continues by suggesting that Calvinism places an emphasis on “…constant self-control and thus to deliberate regulation of one’s own life…” (79). Even Calvinist ministers counsel their followers to engage in systematic rational conduct, in their calling, as a way to cope with their anxiety over their salvation. As a result, there is an emphasis on “…a systematic rational ordering of the moral life as a whole” (79). Calvinism has a sense of antipathy towards the worship of worldly things, however, it places an emphasis on religious duty in order to make use of God’s given resources available to all people. Through systematization and orderliness in all aspects of life, profit is earned and in that, a sense of salvation. Thus, through this rationality and systematization, bureaucracies were developed in order to deal with the large …show more content…
The Protestant ethic fosters a rational orientation to the world that demands using rationality to make all decisions. Bureaucracies, as goal-oriented institutions, are set to produce a systematic way to control and regulate other organizations. Branches in bureaucracies are ranked in hierarchical order in which information flows up the chain of command. Bureaucracies’ efficiency lies in its impersonal rules that are based on rationality. They explicitly state responsibilities, standardize procedures and make sure that everyone in the branches are highly qualified. In bureaucracies, people are not regarded as individuals, instead, they are numbers in order to be able to reach the whole population. Bureaucracies function because they “[segregate] official activity as something distinct from the sphere of private life” (197). Through this, there is an “…increase in the speed by which…economic and political facts, are transmitted exerts a steady and sharp pressure in the direction of speeding up the tempo of administrative reaction towards various situations” (215). These characteristics allow goals to be reached, but because people are regarded as numbers instead of actual individuals, policies developed through bureaucracies may have unintended consequences that result in